This property had a lot of work left to do, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the exterior. In fact, an unassuming façade up front can leave buyers surprised by the difference inside.
How You Can Sell a House During a Remodel
There’s a reason both traditional buyers and investors look for fixer-upper projects. You have the opportunity to undo mistakes and make the property truly your own, but anyone who’s tackled a DiY home renovation project knows how quickly things can turn sour. Hidden damage, rising costs, and constant delays can turn a simple remodel into a massive headache that’s not worth the effort.
SoldFast can help you untangle yourself from a DiY nightmare, no matter where you are in the process. Here’s how Stuart from Mableton, GA, navigated a similar situation with our Operator Nader Wahba.
How Fast a Remodel Can Start to Sink
Stuart was formerly the landlord of this property, and bought the house intending to live there himself and fix it up over time. But life got in the way like it tends to do, and soon enough the scope of the project had spiraled out of control.
Selling and walking away isn’t giving up. It’s acknowledging that life events and other things outside your control can grind a big remodel to a halt. You don’t deserve to be dragged down by these problems, but it can still feel intimidating to walk away from projects in-progress, especially when money is out all over the place.
Stuart needed a cash buyer he could trust to offer the best deal, and he connected with SoldFast through a mutual friend. After paying them a referral fee, we moved to close quickly so Stuart could move on, while the work was just getting started for us.
Remodeling a house you’re currently living in can be a great way to cut costs, but remember that you’re giving up the benefits of a finished house…
Like not having to use your bedroom as a workshop.
In these situations, try to leave a centrally-located room unfinished. You can store your tools there and avoid spreading the mess around the house.
We Took the Headache Off Their Hands
The property was already coming along great thanks to Stuart’s work, but there was still more than enough left to do. Over the next 12 weeks, we rolled up our sleeves and finished a number of projects, including the remodels in the kitchen and bathrooms. We also put in new floors and modernized both the electric and plumbing.
Most rooms in this house were in the middle of their respective projects, so the first thing we did was prioritize our goals for the space and plan out the rest of the remodel. While it can be frustrating to start with tedious jobs like cleaning and organizing, a well-maintained workspace is much more efficient in the long run. With things in storage or just in the basement/garage, you don’t have to worry about moving boxes or furniture around as needed.
Kitchen remodels are one of the more complex projects you’ll run into during a full property renovation, especially if you need to update plumbing and natural gas utilities. This is another reason it’s tough to live in your renovation; when it gets in the way of everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning. It will help if you:
- Keep the fridge onsite, and in another room if possible
- Have disposable plates and utensils to avoid hand-washing dishes
- Use a free-standing cooktop, like a toaster oven, air fryer or even a camping stove
If the kitchen needs a major overhaul, plan for the whole process to take several months at least. Investors willing to oversee things more directly could save on administrative costs, so it’s best to plan out far in advance. Having existing contacts with cabinet or tile companies can be a huge plus.
Big Changes and Cosmetic Tweaks
Focusing on utility and appliance updates early removes the risk of having to re-access anything around them if something else goes wrong. The rest of the kitchen was put back in place with clean, secure hookups.
Adding or renovating a bathroom is one of the best ways to add value to your home, especially if you can correct a bad layout or resolve lingering plumbing problems.
For this bathroom, we replaced the second toilet with double vanity sinks and added cabinets to increase the available storage. Easily accessible storage is a top priority for bathrooms, so keep that in mind the next time you’re renovating the ensuite!
New paint, flooring and minor details come up last, which helps keep them from being scuffed or damaged during the more intense parts of the remodeling process. Remember to measure carefully, clean as you go, and stop regularly to check for imperfections.
As an example, here are some of the things we keep in mind when putting in new flooring:
- Even small specks of dust can work their way up through the flooring over the years, so keep the subfloor as clean as possible. Use shoe covers and keep the saws out of the same room.
- Tools like a wiggle saw or jigsaw can help with the small, varied contours of things like the door trim.
- Have a partner with you if you can, as well as good knee pads. Constantly getting up to cut other pieces can quickly wear you down, but with a second person, one of you is measuring and placing the flooring while the other cuts new pieces.
This should be done even in spaces that don’t get a lot of visibility, like closets. Consistency (or lack thereof) is something buyers notice, and trying to cut corners even in purely “functional” spaces can end up making the shortcuts more visible altogether.
When a property is “in between” so many updates, one of the reasons it’s harder to sell is the lack of quality photos showing the finished product. Buyers, especially traditional retail buyers, have a tough time seeing the potential when things are ripped up and unpainted. Taking a few pics before starting the renovation is always a good idea.
Now the Property Is Ready for Rental
In the end, our operator liked this project so much he decided to turn it into a now-successful short-term rental.
Projects spiraling out of control can feel like they’ll never be back on track, and it’s always smart to sell if you know your life doesn’t have room for this kind of stress. Stuart had the right idea when he called SoldFast.
Every SoldFast operator fosters lasting partnerships with contractors, realtors, and lenders to build a local network of the very best. This means more trust and more community, which is what SoldFast is all about. It’s not even that we somehow know how to avoid the headaches. We know what we’re getting into, and we’re prepared to knuckle down to transform your headache into someone’s home sweet home.
Is Your Remodel Taking Over Your Life? Call SoldFast!
Every member of SoldFast develops a deep understanding of your communities, and how to deliver a higher standard of service, because they’re our communities too. If you’re struggling with a tough remodel and are thinking about walking away, contact a SoldFast operator today.
